With the permission of Mike Perry at City of Alpharetta Recreation, volunteers plan to build concrete pads for tee boxes at Wills Park where presently there are the worn dirt areas. The first six will be built in the next month. The next six, next Spring. If anyone has any suggestions or wants to volunteer they would be welcome. The concrete pads will be 6 ft wide by 12 ft long .

Hopefully none will be poured until we meet with Mike Perry and be sure of which holes will stay in the redesign of the course to remove the areas of conflict with the trails from the course - and hopefully the pads will be sized for the holes wjhen all is said and done.

Rand and I are supposed to meet with Mike sometime in the next week or so to go over all the details - more info will follow when it is fully known.

We're on it. Should have everyone that's involved in sync on the new layout by tomorrow (Monday). Don't be misled by what's out there now...More to come on this after the loop has been closed. In the mean time anyone who wants to volunteer their labor to help the Scout(s) complete their Eagle project, send me a PM and I'll put you on the list. It would be great to have disc golfers on hand to ensure that the pads not only conform to the new layout, but also to make sure that they get broomed properly and willl allow rain to drain off (and of course, are not installed at crazy angles). -ChrisF

twolight wrote:With the permission of Mike Perry at City of Alpharetta Recreation, volunteers plan to build concrete pads for tee boxes at Wills Park where presently there are the worn dirt areas. The first six will be built in the next month. The next six, next Spring. If anyone has any suggestions or wants to volunteer they would be welcome. The concrete pads will be 6 ft wide by 12 ft long .

We're now in sync with the Scouts, the City and the Arboretum on the redesign proposal, which must go through the same approval process that the 6-pad Eagle project has already cleared. As this phase is already in motion, it's time for us to jump on board and support Bobby Cookson's Eagle project. We'll be meeting again tomorrow with all parties to finalize the holes that will get the first six pads, which will hopefully be the ones that do not change in our redesign.

Here's what we need now from the Disc Golf community:

Volunteers on Wednesday, 18-August at 5:00 pm to help build frames - instead of playing dubs that nightVolunteers on Saturday, 21-August at 8:30 am to help with the concrete pour - wheelbarrows also welcome that dayCooperation with the Scouts (especially Bobby, who is the Project Manager), the City and the Arboretum by keeping the work areas clear and playing around them until the pads are completed

Please indicate by posting on this thread (with real name) or sending me a PM if you can help out on either or both days. Thanks in advance for your support and cooperation.

I was out at Wills middle of last week, and chatted with a couple of Boy Scouts and their dads who were in the process of building a frame on #4. I was pleased to see the activity so quickly. Good luck with it, and if you're ever out there working on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, let me know!

Lewis wrote:I was out at Wills middle of last week, and chatted with a couple of Boy Scouts and their dads who were in the process of building a frame on #4. I was pleased to see the activity so quickly. Good luck with it, and if you're ever out there working on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, let me know!

Thanks Lewis. I'll put you on the list for the next round of pads or fairway clearing for the new holes, some of which is bound to happen on your available days.

I'll help instead of playing next WED - as I'm looking forward to seeing this finally come to fruition!

Alot of the thanks need to go to RAND on helping moving this forward as without his working with Anna Brostrom at the Alpharetta Visitors and Convention Bureau the last few years with the Atlanta Open things might never have gotten this far.

And another huge thanks to Chris Foley who has been working with the Arboretum group and who tirelessly worked the phones on Monday the 9th to get all the parties together for a meeting on Tuesday the 10th to facilitate moving the redesign along - and to also be a liason with the scouts for the current and future tee pad projects.

If all goes as planned and when the redesign is approved and finalized we WILL see some quality Events at Wills in the coming years.

Meeting went well, and the park is moving forward with the Eagle Scout to get his 6 pads done (4,5,12,14,17 - moving forward 20 feet, and 18 - moving up ~10ft) 1 and 3 will be not be used and are to be filled back in by the park as those holes will not exist when the redesign is completed. We are also starting the process for completing the redisgn through the parks board.

All pads will be done and backfilled and evened out with the surrounding areas for ease of transitioning from any angle.

More info to come in the next 2 weeks!

PLEASE try and make it out to the teepad prep day NEXT WED at 5PM, and for the concrete pouring day of SAT - AUG 21st to show your support for what this scout is doing and to help make Wills into a new jewel in the disc golf arena!

The worst group of wooded holes on the southside, way to boost the redesign Keith. Other than being flat, these two courses should not be grouped together. Oh I get it. Tell the Mosley crowd how cool it would be to play a course like theirs and maybe someone will show up for dubs at Wills.

Sorry Kade, maybe I should have used holes 13-15 at ERP for comparison as the area has elevation changes and the creek flowing thru it - does that make it cooler for you?

I used Moseley in that it has 4 shorter wooded holes which are completely different from most of the rest of the course, and Wills when finished will have the same thing more holes where all in the woods or mostly wooded where now there is really only 9, 11, and sort of 14.

ERP is ALL wooded - not really any comparision to Wills.

And by the way - players showing up or not showing up for dubs has nothing to do with whether the course is like any other course and never has.

Most people don't like Moseley because they can't play well there... too bad for them. I guess it makes them feel better to say the holes are shule, so.... they play on their home course and memorized shots come naturally and they shoot better as a result. ERP has no change of play for the whole round, except to miss trees. The course is nice but it is very limited because of the design. Wills is sounding better day by day!

keith johnson wrote:One thing I'm very sure of though is that when this project is finished that Wills will have probably more people playing it and will definately have more Tournaments on it than the last 5 years.

I will personally guarantee that.

This is great news because as a PDGA member I have played in over 20 events and none have been at Wills Park. I will be there.

Help Get This Party Started!Thanks to the folks that volunteered at dubs last night to help with the tee pad framing next week. We're still looking for a few more volunteers for this phase of the project. Just show up at the regular dubs time (around 5:00 pm) on Wednesday 18-AUG.

If you can't make this time, we'll be pouring the first six pads at 9:00 am on Saturday 21-AUG and would appreciate some volunteers, especially if you can bring a wheelbarrow. Thanks. -ChrisF

More progress today. Alpharetta Parks Committee reviewed course renovation plan and agreed to recommend it to the Recreation Commission, who will consider the plan at their next scheduled meeting (26-Aug). If all goes well this should dovetail with the acquistion of the new baskets. Will provide further updates following the Rec Commission meeting. -ChrisF

All 6 pads are framed and ready for the city to fill the gaps in the next 2 days before the concrete pouring on SAT AUGUST 21st!

Bobby led the crew of Tim Ellis, Philip Belt, Chris Foley, his dad, and myself as we framed and set the frames to slope for proper drainage before staking them to the ground to keep them in place until the concrete is poured. The park wiill then back and side fill them to make them safe for use as well as assist with drainage on the "currently known as" hole 14 pad. hole 12 will have asphalt placed between the pad and the current asphalt path to help with the transitioning.

Some baskets will move in the redesign later this year whern the new baskets are installed, so don't worry too much about short term changes or "shortening of holes, as the pads are placed to optimize the new, changing, and or more challenging look the course will have going forward.

Thanks again to Bobby for using the concrete pads at wills for his Eagle Scout project and we'll see everyone on SAT starting at 9AM for the helping of the concrete work!Check with Bobby or his designated assistants for where you can be of assistance when you arrive SAT Morning - Tee pads 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, and 18 and being done SAT.

First six tees poured today (#4, #5, #18, #17, #12, #14) thanks to an army of boy scouts, wrestlers, football players and disc golfers that worked on Bobby Cookson's Eagle project.

PLEASE KEEP EVERYONE OFF OF THESE PADS UNTIL THE FRAMES ARE REMOVED, which should be within a week or so.

They were rough brushed by Keith and I carved out minimal expansion joints, which were mandated by Alpharetta Engineering. These pads are 6'x12' except for 14, which didn't have enough room for the full width. This one turned out around 5'x12'.

The City will be backfilling all the pads shortly after the forms are removed. We're now communicating with the next Eagle scout candidate about the next few projects, that will eventually replace all the baskets, cut in the four new holes in the woods, add tee signs and next hole indicators, create 6-10 new alternate pin positions and get the course off the off the walking/jogging trail once and for all.

We hope and expect to gain approval for the entire course renovation project soon. We're looking to all current and former Wills Dogs (along with a few Lumberjacks, Snakes, Dragons and Alexandrians) to help volunteer a day or so of your time to help us and the Scouts knock out the next few projects this Fall. That way we can start having sanctioned events at Wills once again and bring the Wednesday dubs numbers back to old levels.

Thanks to those who have already chipped in, and thanks in advance to all of you folks that I know will be stepping forward to help get Wills back to being one of everyone's favorite courses. More updates to come this week. -ChrisF

The project is moving along nicely. Tonight the Alpharetta Recreation Commission approved the redesign and improvements. Now we need to clear the particulars on the new holes and bridges with Engineering and Public Works, who we'll be meeting with next week. Alpharetta Recreation and Parks is supporting these efforts and is our full partner on the project. Thanks to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, a purchase order for the new baskets is now going through.

We've also seen an uptick in play and positive feedback since the six new pads have gone in. #12 is especially rewarding to tee from. Hopefully the next 12 pads won't be far behind. More to come next week.

Please get ready to pitch in as the pads, baskets, signs and bridges will all need volunteer labor and we'll need to raise funds to match the City on the pads. This is all coming together quickly, so we should be prepared to move quickly. Thanks again to everyone who's helped to get us this far along. -ChrisF

We got the go ahead today to start clearing the four new holes. We'll be finalizing the tee pad locations soon, but still need to have them approved after we hear back from Engineering & Public Works on the relevant regulations. We'll also know more about bridges after E&PW gets back to us.

What does this mean? It means that we'll need volunteers to help start the clearing now. The new baskets will be installed in waves, but we don't need too many volunteers on this task. We will need several volunteers to help with the framing and pouring of the new pads, which will be broken up into two phases.

Work sessions will be held on both weekdays (after work until DST goes away) and on some weekends. Please send a PM if you are available to help on these projects. Thanks. -ChrisF

Tee and pin positions for four new holes approved today by Alpharetta E&PW. Keith placed first new sleeve in the ground on #3. Look for a new DisCatcher to appear there very soon. This is the symbolic stake in the ground signaling that the "New Wills" transformation is underway.

This train is now rolling and the plan is to have the entire new layout, concrete pads and new baskets in place by Thanksgiving. Keep an eye on this thread over the next few weeks - as we'll be posting TEE PAD POURING and FAIRWAY CLEARING work days soon. Also, if anyone out there has BRIDGE BUILDING experience, please send a PM, as we might need you to help consult with the City and/or the Boy Scouts - depending on who we wind up working with on the bridge over the creek behind #11 and #9 tees. The bridge will be used to connect the new #8 pin across the creek and the last of the four new holes with the current #9 and #10 locations.

The City of Alpharetta folks have been outstanding to work with. Every time Keith and I meet with them, they continue to step up to help us complete the project in a timely and professional manner. Please extend your thanks to any City employees you may run across at Wills.

Though my schedule is a bit quirky, I'll keep an eye on this thread and will definitely pitch in to help renovate the course if the planets align. I'd really like to see Wills playable again.

I actually played it last Wednesday (during the day, not a lot of people traffic to deal with) and, in spite of a few of the baskets in disrepair and the obvious problems with some of the tee areas, it's still a fun course with a nice mix of open/wooded holes.

joyaman wrote:Tee and pin positions for four new holes approved today by Alpharetta E&PW. Keith placed first new sleeve in the ground on #3. Look for a new DisCatcher to appear there very soon. This is the symbolic stake in the ground signaling that the "New Wills" transformation is underway.

It is in - as of 8:23 AM Oct 1st, 2010 the change to Wills has officially begun